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<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Dear Colleagues<br><br>
Please find below brief report on current Commonwealth legislation.
<br><br>
Regards <br>
Bradley Smith<br>
Executive Director<br>
FASTS<br>
********************* <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Commonwealth
Legislation</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
There is no major legislation affecting science, R&D and research
policy currently before the Parliament. <br>
It is expected the Government will announce BAA2 on budget night. Apart
from some additional appropriations (which are never blocked by ALP and
Democrats in the Senate) it is unlikely BAA2 will generate much
legislation (most decisions, such as anticipated changes to the Research
Training Scheme (RTS) are likely to be administrative, not legislative).
<br><br>
The following Bills may be of interest to some Member Societies
<br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Education, Science
and Training Portfolio</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Higher Education
Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student Union Fees)
Bill 2003</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
Seeks to abolish compulsory student association fees. Will almost
certainly fail in the Senate. If it were passed it would seriously damage
the resource base of CAPA (a FASTS affiliate member) and other student
organisations, notably postgraduate associations, who do provide a range
of services, representation and advocacy to students including science,
mathematics and technology students. <br>
<b>Bill status</b>: Introduced into House. Not debated in either chamber.
<br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Environment and
Heritage Portfolio</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Renewable Energy
(Electricity) Amendment Bill
2002</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
Proposed raft of essentially administrative changes to Mandatory
Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme. The Bill was defeated in the
Senate becoming, in effect, a proxy for debate over the MRET rather than
the Bill's provisions per se. Government unlikely to bring the Bill back
in its current form (they attempting to deal with some of the provisions
administratively rather than legislatively). <br>
In the interim, there has been a Government review of the MRET (The
Tambling Report) which was released on 16 January 2004. The report is
available at
</font><a href="http://www.mretreview.gov.au/" eudora="autourl"><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u>www.mretreview.gov.au</a></u></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<br>
<b>Bill status</b>: Passed in House. Blocked in Senate. Can be
reintroduced. <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Amendment Bill
2004</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
Clarifies that GST is not payable on the Environmental Management Charge
levied on standard tourism. <br>
<b>Bill status</b>: passed 9 March 2004. <br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Industry, Tourism
and Resources Portfolio</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Industry Research
And Development Amendment Bill 2003 <br>
</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">This Bill removes the
existing powers of the Industry Research and Development Board
(IR&DB), to commit, approve or recommend the expenditure of
Government funds for R&D. <br>
These funding functions are currently undertaken by the Department not
IR&DB, so the effect of the Bill is to bring the IR&D Act (1986)
into conformity with actual practice. <br>
This Bill makes no changes to the duties and powers of the IR&DB on
R&D tax concessions and clarifies the role of the IR&DB on
assessments of proposals for R&D or innovation funding, and
evaluating the progress of projects approved for funding. <br>
The activities of the IR&DB are of considerable interest to FASTS.
However, this legislation is not controversial as it confirms status quo
rather than changing its role. <br>
<b>Bill status</b>: Passed: 4 March 2004. <br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry
Portfolio</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Agricultural and
veterinary chemicals (administration) amendment Bill
2004.</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
Designed to bring Australia's regime for management of chemicals into
line with the Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions (the Government
announced last August that it intended to ratify these two conventions).
<br>
Further information:
</font><a href="http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/browse.aspx?NodeID=40" eudora="autourl"><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u>http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/browse.aspx?NodeID=40</a></u></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<br>
<b>Bill status</b>: Passed: 4 March 2004. <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Dairy Produce
Amendment Bill 2003 <br>
</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">This Bill tidies
administrative arrangements, clarifies indemnity and liability issues and
liberalises financial constraints on Dairy Australia Ltd (which
superceded the Australian Dairy Corporation and the Dairy Research and
Development Corporation). <br>
<b>Bill status</b>: Introduced into House. Not debated in either chamber
<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Fisheries
Legislation Amendment (Compliance And Deterrence Measures And Other
Matters) Bill 2003 <br>
</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">The Bill seeks to; <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">put
in place more effective deterrence and compliance regimes to help deter
foreign fishers from illegally fishing in Australian waters; <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">improve
the operating efficiency and effectiveness of Australian Fisheries
Management Authority (AFMA) in its management of Commonwealth fisheries
resources; <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">and
promote ecologically sustainable practices in Commonwealth-managed
fisheries.<br>
<b>Bill status</b>: Passed Senate, to be debated in House. <br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Health and Ageing
Portfolio</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Industrial Chemicals
(Notification And Assessment) Amendment (Rotterdam Convention) Bill 2004
<br>
</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Gives effect to
Australia's obligations under the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior
Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides
in International Trade. It establishes a system of notification and
assessment of industrial chemicals to protect health, safety and the
environment and extends the present notification, information exchange
and information gathering powers. <br>
It will have some financial and process impact on exporters of industrial
chemicals.</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=2> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><b>Bill status</b>: Passed 4
March 2004 <br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Treasury
Portfolio</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><i>Energy Grants
(Cleaner Fuels) Scheme Bill 2003 <br>
Energy Grants (Cleaner Fuels) Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2003
<br>
</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">The Energy Grants (Cleaner
Fuels) Scheme provides a generic framework for the payment of grants for
the importation and manufacture of cleaner fuels in accordance with the
Government's 2003-2004 Federal Budget announcement concerning fuel tax
reform and cleaner fuel measures. <br>
The EG(CF)S will initially allow for the payment of a grant for the
importation and domestic production of final fuels containing biodiesel.
The grant will offset the excise and customs duty payable on biodiesel
and continue the current effective excise rate of zero for 100% biodiesel
until 30 June 2008. The grant will also be payable on fuel blends
containing biodiesel, extending an effective excise rate of zero to the
biodiesel component of fuel blends. <br>
The Bill also provides grants to offset excise and customs duty on the
manufacture and importation of ethanol when the existing subsidy
arrangement finishes on 30 June 2008. <br>
The legislation is controversial within the Coalition - the Nationals
unhappy with elements relating to ethanol and, thus, effects on sugar
industry. <br>
<b>Bill status</b>: Passed in House, introduced into Senate but Govt yet
to bring on debate due to internal disputes. <br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Current Senate
Legislation Inquiries</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">
<br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab>·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u>Revised
Draft Import Risk Analysis for
Bananas</u></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab>·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u>Revised
Draft Import Risk Analysis on
Apples</u></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab>·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u>Draft
and Final Import Risk Analysis for Pig
Meat</u></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab>·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u>Import
risk assessment on New Zealand apples<br><br>
</u></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><b>Further
information</b>:
<a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/rrat_ctte/index.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/rrat_ctte/index.htm</a>
<br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Current Senate References Inquiries</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Australian Plantation Forestry</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
<i>Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee</i> <br>
Terms of reference include; <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">whether there are impediments to the achievement of the aims of 'Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision' strategy; <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">whether there are further opportunities to maximise the benefits from plantations in respect of their potential to contribute environmental benefits, including whether there are opportunities to: <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">better integrate plantations into achieving salinity and water quality objectives and targets, <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">optimise the environmental benefits of plantations in low rainfall areas <br>
Report due for tabling 11 March 2004 <br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4><b>Rural Water Resource Usage</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
<i>Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee</i> <br>
Terms of reference include; <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">current rural industry based water resource usage; and <br>
</font><font face="Symbol">·<x-tab> </x-tab></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">options for optimising water resource usage for sustainable agriculture.<br>
Report due for tabling 24 June 2004.<br>
</font><font face="Courier New, Courier">-- <br>
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